These tips will help you get the most out of your tutoring time:
- Right after class is not the best time to meet with a tutor. Give yourself a chance to process the material presented in class: look over your notes, start on the homework, or review the textbook before your appointment.
- Tutoring is not meant to replace classroom instruction. If you miss class, you will need to visit with your professor and/or get copies of notes from classmates. It is not the responsibility of a tutor to “teach” you the content that you missed in class.
- Even if you think you are completely lost, take a few minutes to look back over your notes and the relevant sections of your textbook. You may find that you are not as confused as you thought.
- Remember that your tutor did not attend exactly the same class you did. He or she would have had the class during a different semester, probably with a different professor, and possibly at a different campus. Therefore, your tutor will need some input from you in terms of what you are working on, and what you need help with.
- The most important thing you can bring with you to a tutoring appointment is your course syllabus. Your syllabus is available electronically, either through Canvas or through a “My Lab” site (e.g. MyMathLab, MySpanishLab, MyWritingLab, etc.).
- Other important things to bring to tutoring sessions are textbooks, class notes, any handouts you’ve received, and any additional tools (calculator, highlighters, etc.).
- Be realistic in terms of how much you and your tutor can accomplish in the amount of time you have scheduled. For example, a 10-page paper will probably take more than 30 minutes to review if your goals for the session are very broad.
- Remember that your tutor’s goal is always to help you get to a point where you can complete assignments and analyze course material on your own. Their focus will be on making sure you understand concepts so that you can complete assignments on your own (meaning that assignment completion is not the primary focus of tutoring time).
Special Notes for English Composition or “Papers for Any Class” students:
- Remember that your tutor may not know anything about the specific topic you are discussing. “Papers” tutors are experts in grammar, usage, mechanics, stylebooks, and other aspects of essays in general, not necessarily any particular class or topic.
- “Papers” tutors will not proofread papers. They will help you with strategies to proofread your own paper.
- “Papers” tutors cannot read your professor’s mind. Just because the tutor says your paper looks good, that does not mean you will automatically get an A.
Special Note for “Study Skills” students:
- Tutors will help with study tips, memorization techniques, organizational skills, note-taking strategies, annotation suggestions, and other techniques that will apply to a variety of courses. They will even help you apply those techniques to your current areas of concern. However, this does not mean that they are experts in the subject matter you are studying; they will probably not be able to answer content questions. However, they will help you leverage your resources and find your own answers.
Special Note for "Microsoft Office" students:
- Help is available for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This assistance is geared for the general needs of students in a variety of courses, but tutors are not certified experts with this software. Tutoring is not intended to support the Micro Applications (CIT 1093) course; however, students desiring help with Micro Applications are welcome to make an appointment with a Study Skills tutor.
